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Glosters

Mommason

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Hi, I am new to breeding canaries and seem to have a problem with lots of unfertilized eggs being laid. I have 2 pair of Glosters who are very much attached to each other. the one male is very attentive and will even sleep in the nest with the female. Last year we had 3 hatchlings out of this pair, unfortunately the chicks died. The second pair had 5 unfertilized eggs last year. Each female has been laying eggs randomly in the early spring in the seed cups. The one pair now has 4 eggs and has been sitting on them for over 2 weeks, the male feeds her and fusses over her, and he will even sleep in the nest with her occasionally. He is very protective of her. I have 2 eggs by the second pair. They are getting a good diet of greens, Perle Morbido, soak seeds, fruits and vegetables, bee pollen, good quality canary seed, egg food as well as hard boiled eggs. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Bonnie
 

Monaco

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finchly

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Hello Bonnie, and welcome to the neighborhood.

Did you trim the male's vent feathers? This is something you're supposed to do with Glosters. Admittedly I don't do it but it's a thought.

It concerns me that you lost babies and also have unfertilized eggs; something isn't right. Do you give any supplemental vitamins? Aside from the egg food, do they get protein? If I had to guess just from what you've listed I would say they are low on protein and perhaps some vitamins.

Do you know how old the birds are? Glosters only breed until about age 4 or so, in general.

There are many reasons why they might not breed successfully but it sounds like yours are in full breeding mode, especially if the one male is caring for the hen.

Keep sharing info, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of this. :)
 

Mommason

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Thank you so much for your reply! Unfortunately I have done all of these things, they get a regular diet of boiled egg and are offered freeze dried meal worms, which is hit and miss. I am wondering if she was just allowed to nest too soon and chose to just do it ALL by herself!? the male is just so attentive, so they weren't really separated for any length of time. The vitamin supp I give is Quiko multivitamin, as well as sporadic drops in their water for 5 days at a time and then regular. I also have moved them recently, which I also wonder if it is a factor. I am renovating my bird room so they have been relocated down stairs to the den. Although this doesn't seem to bother them, even with constant foot traffic. I am at the stage of removing the eggs since it has been well over incubation time, separating the pairs and leaving them for a week or so and then reintroducing the nest etc. I didn't know that Glosters only have a short breeding life, so that was new info! I am pretty sure my birds are all yearlings, by their bands, so age shouldn't be a factor. I have bred finches long ago, and thought I would get back into birds when a friend was moving and his wife decided his canaries weren't going with them! Long story short I still have one of his birds who is very old now, and now have starting buying Glosters as of last spring from a breeder/importer. Anyway, that's where I am at!
 

finchly

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Ohhh i bet you’re right - the move. I believe they get more upset than we realize.

Anyway I’m sure you will get it sorted, and we’d love to see some photos! Glad you got into canaries. Glosters are awesome.
 

jh81

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Canary’s, in my opinion, are fairly easy birds to breed with.
what seed do you give them?

where did you get them from? Could they be inbreed?
 

Mommason

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Hi! Thanks for your help! My birds are from an importer in Toronto Canada, and I believe he gets his birds from Europe. All seem healthy and active, and age shouldn't be a factor. Not sure about inbred but I doubt it. The seed is a regular Canary seed, Prestige Premium canary seed, extra niger, Perle Morbide since they have been nesting, Quiko Egg Food, Bee Pollen, as well as fresh veggies and fruit and hard boiled egg with shell. I am now dealing with 4 pair with unfertilized eggs. all but 1 pair seem to have attentive males, although I have only suspected 2 of them having coupled. I have 1 male, Cap't Carrot who is the most attentive partner, and he is always fawning all over his Mrs., he feeds and preens her, protects her by sitting immediately with her on the nest if I am cleaning the cage etc. He will even sit on the eggs if she gets out for any reason, and will snuggle in the nest with her at night. Last year when I first got them from the importer they laid 5 eggs and 3 hatched but she refused to feed them so they died. I am thinking it must be environment; something is interfering with them that I am not catching on to. They are in a new location this year as I am renovating, but this doesn't seem to bother them. I have separated them out again and removed the nests and now have restarted the nesting process with them to see if this can 'reset' their breeding cycle. So, I am obviously doing something wrong! just can't figure it out! Thanks again, Bonnie
 

finchly

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Goodness, Bonnie! They sound awesome. You're doing 'right things.'

I don't think you're obviously doing something wrong, but I wouldn't discount the renovations either. Remember that they hide their discomfort -- maybe they're showing it to you by not breeding? "I won't bring new babies into this wacky environment."
Maybe they're just inexperienced.
Or... maybe you just have to wait. I tried to reset my Gouldians by using an austerity diet (common with Gouldians) and those rascals. They are just NOW starting to nest like crazy, yes NOW when it is above 90 F most days and everyone else's breeding season is winding up because of the heat. Silly birds! I tried everything. Guess you can't argue with mother nature.
 

Mommason

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Hey! Well l would like to think spring is going to eventually come here too and the weather will get warmer, but we just had a freak snow blizzard here in Eastern Canada, and I had to wait until the snow melted before I could cut the backyard so the puppers wouldn't get lost in the jungle! It sounds like it could be anything at this point Finchly! I never had so much trouble when I was breeding finches many many years ago. I will carry on carrying on as they say, but it is very nice being able to do a bit of brain-storming with you guys.
 

Mommason

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Hi guys, does anyone have any experience with a green canary with a 'cyst' on the top of it's head? I just noticed one of my last year's baby has a 'pimple' like bubble which I am calling a cyst. Obviously he has lost feathers around it. It seems softish, and doesn't seem to bother him at all, he is one of my best singers and is very active. Any ideas? TIA, Bonnie
 

Mommason

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Hey there, I thought I would add a few pics to show my poor Cheep's head, It has progressed to almost totally bald, the poor thing looks so bad, but he remains very active and is still singing up a storm. Hopefully someone might recognize this problem and have some suggestions. Thanks, Mommason
 

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finchly

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Oh my goodness. I would bet the balding is where he’s rubbing his head. I would take him to an avian vet.
 
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